Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Captain Grose et al.
by CMB
on 6/07/2006 at 6/07/2006 01:15:00 PM.
Project Gutenberg has a dictionary (published 1811) designed to allow the middle and upper classes of Victorian England to understand what the lowlifes were talking about. I love some of the words in there, some should be brought into common usage today, like:
ADMIRAL OF THE NARROW SEAS. One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him.
Some of them are utterly inexplicable, like:
AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO. A Shoemaker. (See Mrs. Clarke's Examination.)
Others make me smile:
MUNSTER PLUMS. Potatoes.
Or wish I'd been to some Victorian parties:
MUMBLE A SPARROW. A cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner: A cock sparrow whose wings are clipped, is put into the crown of a hat; a man having his arms tied behind him, attempts to bite off the sparrow's head, but is generally obliged to desist, by the many pecks and pinches he receives from the enraged bird.
And others are incredibly puerile:
AMBASSADOR. A trick to duck some ignorant fellow or landsman,frequently played on board ships in the warm latitudes. It is thusmanaged: A large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed oneach side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpaulin, or old sail:this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king andqueen of a foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The personintended to be ducked plays the Ambassador, and after repeating aridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to thethrone, and seated between the king and queen, who rising suddenly assoon as he is seated, he falls backwards into the tub of water.
Finally:
BASTARDLY GULLION. A bastard's bastard.
I recommend that everybody learns a new word and tries to use it in conversation.
ADMIRAL OF THE NARROW SEAS. One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him.
Some of them are utterly inexplicable, like:
AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO. A Shoemaker. (See Mrs. Clarke's Examination.)
Others make me smile:
MUNSTER PLUMS. Potatoes.
Or wish I'd been to some Victorian parties:
MUMBLE A SPARROW. A cruel sport practised at wakes and fairs, in the following manner: A cock sparrow whose wings are clipped, is put into the crown of a hat; a man having his arms tied behind him, attempts to bite off the sparrow's head, but is generally obliged to desist, by the many pecks and pinches he receives from the enraged bird.
And others are incredibly puerile:
AMBASSADOR. A trick to duck some ignorant fellow or landsman,frequently played on board ships in the warm latitudes. It is thusmanaged: A large tub is filled with water, and two stools placed oneach side of it. Over the whole is thrown a tarpaulin, or old sail:this is kept tight by two persons, who are to represent the king andqueen of a foreign country, and are seated on the stools. The personintended to be ducked plays the Ambassador, and after repeating aridiculous speech dictated to him, is led in great form up to thethrone, and seated between the king and queen, who rising suddenly assoon as he is seated, he falls backwards into the tub of water.
Finally:
BASTARDLY GULLION. A bastard's bastard.
I recommend that everybody learns a new word and tries to use it in conversation.
